The good folks at Jauntsetter, the travel site and newsletter for travel-loving New Yorkers, saw fit to name me their Jauntsetter of the Week. It’s always flattering to be the subject of an interview or profile, but being featured by Jauntsetter is particularly wonderful because I have such tremendous respect for the people behind the site. In the interview, you learn about my favorite travel clothing, one hygiene-preserving piece of gear that I take on every trip and the quirky item that I collect for my mother. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Jauntsetter and read the interview. Then, be sure to sign up for their newsletter. You’ll be better person if you do. Trust me.

Jauntsetter of the Week

From time to time, journalists like to do pieces on everyone’s favorite in-flight catalog, SkyMall. When they sit down to research their article or plan for the video segment, they typically find me. I’ve talked SkyMall on NBC and sat down for an interview on CBS News. Recently, I was contacted by a reporter from CNN.com asking to speak with me about SkyMall. I’m always happy to share my thoughts on the catalog and it’s wide-ranging appeal. Why do I think that the SkyMall catalog’s so popular? Check out the article on CNN to find out.

SkyMall fascinates, entertains travelers [CNN]

Andrew Zimmern is best knows as the host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. But before he was traveling the globe eating glands, connective tissue and anuses, he was an acclaimed chef, writer and expert in Chinese cuisine. The new season of his Travel Channel program premiers later this month and, in anticipation of that, he chatted with us about a wide range of topics.

When we started our conversation, Andrew was in an editing room helping his producers identify meats from an episode filmed in Argentina. He pointed out thymus glands and sweet breads as easily as you or I would point out our friends in a photograph. During the rest of our discussion, we touched on subjects ranging from his iron constitution to the American culinary psychology to just how educational his television program actually is.

Read my interview with him on Gadling.

The gang over at Sosauce thought it would be neat to interview me. I thought it’d be neat to find the Lamborghini Countach poster that I had as a kid. Everyboday wins!

Sosauce interview with Mike Barish (apologies for that use of the third person)

The good folks over at NileGuide have launched a new interview series with bloggers and “noteworthy travelers.”  They saw fit to conduct their inaugural interview with me.  I’m flattered that they asked me and was happy to oblige.  So, what does that have to do with a cartoony avatar version of myself?  Nothing.  But I’ll be damned if that isn’t a handsome interpretation of my head.

But I digress.  You can read the NileGuide interview here, and I really hope you do.  While you’re there, navigate around the site a bit.  They have tons of information and advice, not to mention a very friendly team.

Do you enjoy travel books?  Do you enjoy dry humor?  Do you enjoy tales of foreskin lore?  Then I have a recommendation for you.  David Farley’s new book, An Irreverent Curiosity, is a first-person account of the author’s investigation into the lost foreskin of Jesus.  Yes, that Jesus.

Farley spent more than a year in Calcata, Italy (with trips spent in Rome, Vatican City and Turin) trying to track down the dismembered tip of Jesus’ member.  Along the way, he met a woman who talks to birds, fascist alcoholics and hippies who talked way too much about the village’s energy.  And he also introduced himself to a gaggle of priests as Gary Coleman.

I sat down with Farley (who, full disclosure, is a friend of mine) to talk about the book, his adventure and just how good a sense of humor the Vatican has.  You can read it on Gadling.